Systems for selectively diverting conveyed articles in a direction transverse to the conveying direction are well known. The typical arrangement includes a conveyor associated with a plurality of diverters (sometimes called “carriers”) for engaging the articles. As the conveyor moves in an endless path, an adjacent guide track engages a guide associated with each diverter. In the usual mode of operation, this engagement causes the diverter and the associated article to move laterally along the conveyor. Using such an arrangement advantageously allows for selective placement of the articles into multiple rows or lanes, as necessary or desired for a downstream operation, or alternatively may simply divert selected articles to a takeaway conveyor for further processing.
Currently, most diverter systems are adapted for moving articles from a position along the lateral side of the conveyor across the conveying surface to a position closer to the opposite side of the conveyor. However, it is desirable in some applications to provide for diversion from a central position along the conveying surface to either lateral side of the conveyor, or possibly to allow for the continued unaltered conveyance of the diverter in the central position (which may provide a significant reduction in wear as a result of the lack of a need for specific guidance in such position). Accordingly, a need is identified for a diverter conveyor that addresses and overcomes the foregoing limitations, as well as possibly others.